Brewed in the style of a Belgian Dubbel, this beer pours the expected deep brownish color, albeit with a noticeable and attractive reddish hue. On the nose look for notes of brown sugar and caramel, light touches of chocolate, and a significant spicy character contributed by both the famously spicy Belgian yeast as well as the dose of hops. These characteristics come through on the palate too, along with plenty of raisin-like fruitiness...

This winner of multiple gold, silver, and bronze medals from various competitions pours brassy in color with a sedimentary haze provided by a small amount of yeast left in the bottle to naturally condition the beer. Expect a big cappuccino-like frothy head when poured with vigor. On the nose, look for notes of honey and floral qualities, with some citrus notes, leaning toward tropical fruits and a fair amount of spicy hop character. Expect a...

Pouring a deep reddish-amber color with lots of fluffy foam, Red Fish certainly looks the part of a superb red ale. We were happy when it delivered in the aroma and flavor departments, too. On the nose, the cavalcade of American hop varietals delivers a hop-forward brew with plenty of floral and fruity notes including candied citrus, some tropical fruit, and even some berry-like hints. But, we’ve got some malt here too, offering caramel...

If this brew was on tap at New Mexico’s State Penitentiary, we’d see more people trying to get locked up. Luckily, it’s available to you without first needing a record. Another multiple gold, silver, and bronze medal winner, this beer’s aroma is a dream for those who love a good porter. Look for big roasty notes with some coffee and a raisin-like, pruny character underneath some citrus & apple tones and a hint of chalk. The roasted malts and...

This English-style porter, as expected, presents a very dark brown on the pour. When 961 founder Mazen Hajjar poured it for one neophyte Lebanese drinker used to Heineken-style lagers, the response was, “Did something go wrong?” Nope, that’s how it’s supposed to be! On the nose, expect the malts to take center stage with plenty of scorched caramel and some toasty bread crust leading into a bit of a smoky char character. We got some lightly...

The British started the whole IPA thing a couple hundred years ago, and they do things a bit different than us crazy Americans with our increasingly massive hop bombs that deliver crushing citric bitterness along with a big dose of alcohol. Twisted Thistle is a prime example of how the style can be interpreted back on its ancestral home island. Pouring an attractive, lightly hazy, golden orange color with plenty of sticky foam, the beer...

Calicraft’s Buzzerkeley is fermented with Champagne yeast, using pure California Starthistle honey as well as a selection of malts sourced from the U.S. and Belgium. The label speaks of it as such: “The honey sugars are almost completely fermented, drying out the beer similar to a Belgian Golden Strong or Dry Champagne.” The note seemed entirely on point to us.This one pours a deep, bold golden color, capped by firm, textured foam that left

Argus’ Rosie Cheeks is a hugely expressive saison, if crafted around a rather traditional core. The malt bill consists mostly of Pilsner, as well as 10% wheat malt—which shows through in the texture and head retention. For fermentation the brewery employs a French saison strain that they purposefully let do its work at lower temperatures to get the yeast profile just right. Overall, those wheat additions and the saison yeast offer a nice and...